Baghdatis avoids glitz and glamour

A charmer and a crowd-pleaser, Marcos Baghdatis captivated during his run to the final of the Australian Open with his wonderfully ebullient and unorthodox take on the sport. Surely tennis players were not supposed to smile and chuckle as much as he did throughout the fortnight? The image that kept being repeated during the tournament was that shot of the Greek Cypriot's white front teeth.

The 20-year-old had started the tournament in near obscurity, with a world ranking of 54 and only a small following of supporters, but he ended up being the man of the Melbourne slam after defeating three top-10 players to make Sunday's final and then extending Roger Federer, the world No 1, to four sets.

Baghdatis attracted more and more rowdy fans from Melbourne's sizeable Greek community as his run continued and "Marcos Mania" reached the point where the local television networks were 'going live to a Greek restaurant' to discover whether he preferred saganaki fried cheese or souvlaki, essentially a doner kebab-style dish. Such was the sudden and spectacular celebrity acquired by "Baggy", as he is sometimes known on the tour.

The Cypriot yesterday jumped from outside the top 50 to 27 in the ATP world tour rankings and seems destined to become a top-10 player.

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When it comes to personality and energy, Baghdatis may well already be ranked as the world No 1. Most of that appeal comes from the fact that he appears freer and less constrained than all the rest. But, thankfully, he indicated yesterday that all the fuss and praise will not change him as a player, or as a person.

Baghdatis said that he has no plans to become a tennis automaton, stripped of his edge and his flair. He will remain exactly as he ever was.

"This is just the way I am, and it is the way I'm going to be, and if anyone doesn't like it, then tough, as I won't change for anyone," Baghdatis said. "People can either like me or they can dislike me, and that's the way it always is in life - you are friends with some people, and the others, they are not so sure about you. I'm fine with that. I'll always be me."

Baghdatis said that his head will not be turned by the glitz of being a new tennis celebrity. "I don't think that I will change inside because I am just a simple guy from Cyprus," he said. "I have simple people around me, especially my family and my team on the tour. What I have to do now is live simply like I have been before. That will make sure that I am not affected too much."

Money he has earned over the last fortnight will not be blown on fast cars or anything too flash. "I'm not the type to start spending money on extravagant things, that's not me, so I won't go crazy with the prize money. Maybe some homes, that's a possibility for money that I earn in the future, but for the moment there will be nothing that I don't need," he said.

But Baghdatis acknowledged that he will have to make a few adjustments. "The Australian Open has definitely changed my life, as I know that from now on there will be a lot of attention on me and that the fans will follow me around like flies and take my picture and ask for my autograph. But that is how it is when you are famous and that is something that I'll have to get used to - and quickly," he said.

"Before the tournament I was able to walk around Melbourne and not many people knew who I was or stopped to chat to me. But during the last days before the final with Roger Federer it got so crazy that I couldn't even leave my hotel room, as there were so many people downstairs in the lobby waiting for me. That was a little difficult, but I suppose that is the way it is when you are a star. I can't control all the attention that I get, but it is important that I manage to keep my feet on the ground."

The only global sports star from Cyprus, Baghdatis is likely to be mobbed when he flies back to the island this week. "I heard that they are thinking about closing down the airport for me," he said.

As a holiday resort, Cyprus has always been better known for producing world-class hangovers than tennis players, especially as the sport used to be seen as a pastime for the island's rich, but that is no longer the case after the emergence of Baghdatis, the first Cypriot to make the top 100 and play at a slam. Baghdatis, from Limassol, has had his countrymen dancing in the fountains, firing shots into the air and writing songs in his honour.

Baghdatis left the island at the age of 13 to train at an academy in Paris, a change which caused such homesickness that he was in tears every day. He has said that the early days in the French capital were "the worst time of my life".

But the education in Paris helped make Baghdatis the world junior champion and the winner of the junior Australian Open. And perhaps after his run in Melbourne he has done enough to have earned an exemption from his country's military service, a 26-month stint that he has so far managed to avoid.

The question now is whether Baghdatis, who was playing at only his sixth major, will be able to maintain this form at a similar level for the rest of the season. "After I get back from Melbourne I must start working hard again. It shouldn't be that difficult as I know that it has been hard work that has got me to where I am now. The Australian Open has given me so much more experience and I have shown that I can beat the top guys. I really believe in myself now," he said.

Baghdatis has not set himself any ranking targets for the year - at least not publicly. But he is heading for the top 10. "I am not thinking about rankings too much at the moment. My goal for the season is to stay healthy. It's good for the sport that a young guy like me has come through. I bring energy and enthusiasm to the sport. I don't have that much experience, but I'm funny on court. I do things pretty differently to the older guys who have been on tour for so many years. I'm someone different, and that's a good thing, isn't it?"

This summer's Wimbledon fortnight could be intriguing for Baghdatis. Especially if London's Cypriot community arrive in numbers and in good voice at the gentle, garden-party atmosphere of the All England Club.